Techniques for repairing damaged or diseased tissue are widespread in medicine. Wound closure devices, such as sutures, staples, and tacks, as well as tissue reinforcements/replacement devices like meshes and patches, are frequently used for repair. For example, in the case of abdominal wall hernias, techniques involving the use of a mesh or patch to reinforce the abdominal wall are used. The mesh or patch is generally soft and pliant in order to conform to the abdominal wall and flex with movement of the abdominal wall. The mesh or patch may be held in place by suturing, stapling, or tacking the mesh or patch to surrounding tissue.
The performance of the abdominal wall hernia repair using a mesh or patch fixed on the abdominal wall depends in part upon the shear forces experienced at the mesh or patch fixation points. These shear forces may be quite high as a result of high intra-abdominal pressure. It would be advantageous therefore to measure and evaluate the distribution of shear forces at fixation points of a mesh or patch under physiological loads.